Pixels - Salmon Title Page

Caren Beck

Pixels

Screenplay by TIM HERLIHY

Revisions by ROBERT SMIGEL Revisions by

TIM DOWLING

Current Revisions by TIM HERLIHY

Salmon Revisions ? 8/06/14 (2 pp.) Buff Revisions ? 8/06/14 (2 pp.)

Goldenrod Revisions ? 8/01/14 (4 pp.) Green Revisions ? 7/25/14 (3 pp.)

Yellow Revisions ? 7/18/14 (4 pp.) Pink Revisions ? 7/7/14 (15 pp.)

Blue Revisions ? 6/18/14 (15 pp.) White Shooting Script ? 6/10/14 (101 pp.)

Happy Madison 1492 Pictures Columbia Pictures

SPE CONFIDENTIAL

Caren Beck

1

EXT. SUBURBS, DELAWARE, SUMMER OF 1982 - DAY

1

Our hero, SAM BRENNER, 13, rides his bike through the suburbs. Fast, crazed. CHEAP TRICK'S "SURRENDER" (BUDDAKAN VERSION) PLAYS AS CREDITS BEGIN.

2

EXT. HOUSE, SUBURBS - DAY

2

As the song continues, WILL COOPER, age 13, is mowing his lawn. His cute LITTLE SISTER (80s haircut and clothes) is on the sidewalk, operating a lemonade stand. Brenner arrives, SKIDS his bike to a stop. Cooper looks at him. Brenner smiles.

YOUNG BRENNER It's open.

Cooper abandons the lawn mower, grabs his bike and starts to pedal off with Brenner. Then he stops, runs back to the lemonade stand, and takes a big jar of coins.

LITTLE SISTER Hey! You hoser!

3

EXT. MAIN STREET - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

3

Brenner and Cooper pass a movie theater showing "Poltergeist" and pull their bikes into a parking lot. Each stares ahead in awe. CAMERA PANS around them, REVEALS what they're looking at: THE ELECTRIC DREAMS ARCADE. A BIG GRAND OPENING SIGN hangs from the roof.

4

INT. ARCADE - DAY

4

Its like going into another world. All the classic games are lined up: PAC MAN, DONKEY KONG, CENTIPEDE, SPACE INVADERS, GALAGA, Q-BERT, ASTEROIDS, BREAKOUT. And they're all BRAND NEW. The guys enter. Cooper opens the mason jar, both guys grab a handful of quarters and they fan out.

Brenner waits in line for PAC MAN, watching OTHERS playing and losing. He studies their moves, the game's controls, taking in every success, every failure.

Cooper plays GALAGA. On screen we see him GETTING KILLED BY THE ALIEN/BUG INVADERS THREE TIMES REAL QUICK. He's terrible.

It's Brenner's turn on Pac Man. He steps up, puts in his quarter and starts to play. Cooper steps up, watching over his shoulder.

YOUNG COOPER Which one's the alien, the cheese wedge guy or the rainbow blobs?

SPE CONFIDENTIAL

(CONTINUED)

Caren Beck

PIXELS

Blue Revision (06/18/2014)

2.

4

CONTINUED:

4

YOUNG BRENNER Neither. Those blobs are ghosts, and the cheese wedge is Pac Man. He's a... I don't know what he is, but he seems like a good guy.

Cooper shakes his head, looks at the game Brenner's playing: CU of an 80's 8 Bit video screen as PACMAN RACES ACROSS IT.

YOUNG COOPER Wow, Sam. How are you so good at this? You've never even played it before.

YOUNG BRENNER I don't know. There's a pattern to how they are moving. Watch...

He does. ON SCREEN we see numbers and arrows superimposed over the action in Brenner's eyes. He knows exactly where the ghosts are going, when the bonus cherries are going to appear, etc.

YOUNG COOPER I don't see it. But you sure do.

CHEAP TRICK'S SONG continues as CREDITS PLAY OVER:

- MONTAGE of Brenner playing: Centipede, Q-Bert, Galaga, Defender being played at a high level (intercut with other 80s kids, janitors, etc. watching slack-jawed), high score after high score, crowds growing, "SOB" taking over the entire top ten scores.

- As a huge crowd has gathered around Brenner, Cooper plays "the Crane Game" by himself in a lonely corner. He deftly maneuvers the claw over an array of stuffed animals and rubber masks. Cooper lowers the claw over a Chewbacca mask. the claw grabs it, but it gets stuck. Will Cooper get it?

CUT TO Brenner playing ASTEROIDS, surrounded by a respectful crowd. He quickly steps away from the machine.

YOUNG BRENNER Sorry, folks, I gotta eat.

His guy "dies". The crowd applauds and pats him on the back as he walks over to Cooper - standing there in the Chewbacca mask. He hands Brenner a "Reggie" bar.

YOUNG COOPER This is amazing, dude.

SPE CONFIDENTIAL

(CONTINUED)

PIXELS

Blue Revision (06/18/2014)

4

CONTINUED: (2)

YOUNG BRENNER It's weird; out there in the world, I stink at school, I stink at sports - probably the biggest loser in town.

YOUNG COOPER Top three, for sure.

YOUNG BRENNER But in here, I feel like... I'm a winner.

2A. 4

Caren Beck

SPE CONFIDENTIAL

(CONTINUED)

Caren Beck

PIXELS

Blue Revision (06/18/2014)

3.

4

CONTINUED: (3)

4

YOUNG COOPER (hands him flyer) And it's time to show the world.

Brenner reads the flyer - "WORLDWIDE VIDEO ARCADE CHAMPIONSHIPS".

5

INT. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - NIGHT

5

The Super Bowl of video games. Hundreds of PEOPLE are there. NEWSCASTERS report. Cooper is massaging Brenner's fingers.

YOUNG COOPER When you crush all these guys and become the video game king, you're going to drop me as your best friend, aren't you?

YOUNG BRENNER Never, pal. You're the greatest.

YOUNG COOPER Greatest at what? The crane-claw thing?

YOUNG BRENNER At real-life stuff, Chewie: talking people into things... Brushing your hair just right... Looking like you're smarter than you really are...

YOUNG COOPER Yeah, what's that gonna get me?

He trails off as he overhears someone nearby talking...

VOICE (O.C.) Hi... This is a pretty good party...Actually, I hate parties...

Brenner looks over to the next machine to see LUDLOW LAMONSOFF (8, glasses. Genius, no social skills). Ludlow is playing DOJO QUEST (made-up 8 bit game) and talking under his breath to the LADY LISA character (we see her beautiful illustration on the side of the machine).

YOUNG LUDLOW You too? That's so funny. My name's Ludlow by the way... Well nice to meet you, Lady Lisa... Really? I think you're pretty darn foxy yourself...

He finally notices Brenner and Cooper staring at him.

SPE CONFIDENTIAL

(CONTINUED)

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